The non-verbal mask play 'The Messenger' by the creative group 'If You Go There', which attracted attention with the news of participation in the 76th Edinburgh Fringe Festival in England, will be held at the Hanye Theater from Tuesday, May 2nd to Saturday, May 6th. It is performed.
'The Messenger', in which Baek Nam-young, Ahn Do-yeop, and General Kang appear as lead actors, is a non-verbal play in which the performers go on stage wearing masks. It deals with the sad love story of elderly people along with various attractions such as slapstick and acrobatics. While the love between the 'grandmother', a dementia patient, and the 'grandfather' who takes care of her remains the same as when they were young, the play takes a completely unexpected turn when a 'stranger(?)' comes to them .
'The Messenger' is directed by Baek Nam-young, a full-time professor of theater at Chung-Ang University, who is one of the main characters. The highlight of the play is the 'Quick Change' role unique to mask plays, where three actors play as many as 25 different characters, and the actors' range of expression, which is further expanded by covering their voices and facial expressions with masks. The mask, which is the biggest feature of the performance, was designed and produced by Lee Soo-eun, the head of the 'creative group Gogo Mask' and a mask artist who graduated from Hongik University's College of Fine Arts.
The creative group Geogeogamyeon is a theater company that uses masks as the main object of performance as a pioneer in the genre of 'mask theater'. It was formed in 2008 and began its activities in earnest. The new performance format through various masks has created a unique stage language unique to the creative group Geogeo Mask. The theater company's potential has been recognized not only domestically but also overseas, starting with the performance of the nonverbal mask play 'Bahnhof' at the Avignon Festival in France, a world-renowned theater festival, where it received favorable reviews from critics.
Previously, 'The Messenger' was selected for the 7th Edinburgh Korean Season hosted by global cultural company A2Biz and Assembly Festival and will be performed on stage in the UK in August. The Korean performance in May can be seen from May 2nd (Tuesday) to 6th (Saturday) at 8 PM on weekdays and 3 PM on Saturdays. However, on Children's Day, May 5th (Friday), the performance will be held at 3pm.
Ryu Ye-ji, Ten Asia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr